Just Say Yes
by IceCreamAndPizza
Summary: "I didn't know why I was here or what I had planned to do, but I did know that something had led me here and that was enough for me." Songfic to Snow Patrol's Just Say Yes. AAML


**I don't own this song, but it's of my absolute favorites. **

**Just Say Yes-Snow Patrol**

_I'm running out of ways to make you see  
>I want you to stay here beside me<em>

I stood in front of the familiar building with the giant Pokemon plastered on the roof. I didn't know why I was here or what I had planned to do, but I did know that something had led me here and that was enough for me. I rang the doorbell and listened as a little jingle rang through that inside of the building loud enough to probably be heard through the whole place.

I knew I shouldn't have been, but I felt so nervous as I waited in anticipation for someone to answer the door. And before I knew it, the door in front of me swung open to reveal my very surprised best friend.

"Ash?" she wondered, not believing it was me. "What are you doing here?"

As I stared at her, it suddenly dawned on me what had led me to come here. I had missed her and I needed to see her. More importantly, though, I needed her back with me. To fill that empty hole I had been feeling ever since she left.

"Come back with me," I blurted.

I didn't know what would happen next, but I could feel my heart racing as I waited for her to say something.

"What?" she asked, rather baffled by my outburst.

_I won't be ok and I won't pretend I am  
>So just tell me today and take my hand<br>Please take my hand  
>Please take my hand<br>_

"I miss you traveling with me," I explained. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks at this rather embarrassing confession. "It's just not the same anymore. I feel so lonely."

"But don't you have Dawn and Brock?" she asked

"Yeah, but they aren't you," I admitted. "I need my best friend."

I had never been this honest about my feelings to anyone, and I was beginning to understand why. I was so scared that she would say no and slam the door in my face, never to be seen again. I could blow it with one wrong word, so I really had to think about what I said. And with my big mouth, that wasn't a simple task.

"Please?" I asked, offering my hand. _Please take it, _I pleaded in my head.

She didn't though, forcing me to look like an idiot as I slowly lowered it back to my side.

_Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back  
>It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind<br>Only love_

"Ash," she sighed in that way that could only indicate you were about to be rejected. "I can't just leave. I have my duties here as gym leader."

She frowned down on me, her face still looking pretty. But I wanted to make her smile more than anything. I knew she had responsibilities, but I needed her. I wasn't here to test if she would be responsible and pick the right thing. I was here because-as crazy as it sounded-I was pretty sure that I had fallen in love with her.

_It's so simple and you know it is  
>You know it is, yeah<br>We can't be to and fro like this  
>All our lives<br>You're the only way to me  
>The path is clear<em>

"Can't your sisters take it over?" I asked her. They were adults by now, so they shouldn't be leaving Misty with all this responsibility while they ran around traveling the world.

They only allowed her to leave the gym every now and then to visit me at home or that one time in Hoenn. It wasn't enough, though, because every time she left it just hurt more. I knew all those times before I should have said something to her, but I had been naïve and I couldn't recognize my own feelings. Now that I knew why I was feeling the way I was, I wanted nothing more than for her to say she needed to grab that old red bag of hers and we would be off. It would only take one word, but it was more complex than that.

"Ash, they...they aren't good enough," she explained, biting her lip. I could tell that she was hesitant in her word choice, trying almost to convince herself why she shouldn't just pack up and leave. "You remember what the gym was like when I left."

How could I forget? She had flipped out when Daisy had offered to hand me a badge. Now, though, she had rebuilt the gym's reputation and I couldn't have been more proud of what she had done. But I was selfish. I wanted her to be with me instead of taking care of the gym. I could care less if the reputation of the gym suffered because I took away the glue that held it together. The hole I was feeling in my life was too big to ignore, and Misty was the only thing that would fill it.

_What do I have to say to you  
>For Gods sake, dear<em>

"I know. But..." I couldn't think of what to say next. What could I say that would convince her to come with me?

_For Gods sake, dear  
>For Gods sake, dear<em>

"What can I say, Misty?" I begged her to know.

She stared at me as if she was trying to answer that question herself. What would be the magic words that would make her change her mind? She flicked her eyes away from my own and glanced down at an object resting near a bush.

_For Gods sake, dear  
>For Gods sake, dear<br>_

I followed her eyes to the object, raising my eyebrow in confusion. Maybe there wasn't anything I could actually say, but instead something I would have to do.

_Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back  
>It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind<br>Only love_

As I glanced at the hastily thrown aside object, I got an idea. Misty didn't have to stay at this gym forever. There was nothing that said she did, and she didn't have any excuses. So why was she so hesitant? Maybe like me, she was afraid she would have to leave again and have to experience the same pain I felt when she left. That wasn't going to happen, though, and I would make sure of that. Once she left here, she would never have to come back.

_Just say yes, coz I'm aching and I know you are too  
>For the touch of your warm skin<br>As I breathe you in_

I flicked my eyes back to hers, trying to read any sign that might tell me what she was thinking. From the look in her eyes and the way she suddenly glanced over her shoulder to see if her sisters were near, I could tell that she was considering my proposal. She wanted it badly. I knew she hated being at the gym. She had told me multiple times over phone calls, so it wasn't as if she didn't want this anymore than I did. While she wanted it as an escape from the gym and her sisters, I wanted it so I could hug her, breathe in her scent, and tell her that I loved her and would never let her go again. But I was too scared to say that.

So without anything left to say, I opted for my last resort as I bolted off the porch and grabbed the abandon bike. I didn't wait for her to protest my actions as I hopped on and started peddling away.

"I'm borrowing this," I yelled to her as I peddled away.

With a smile on my face, I felt the ecstasy as I sped down the road, her chasing after me, screaming about how I better give her bike back right now or else I would be in big trouble. Never had I ever thought that I would be happy to have an angry Misty chase after me. Her bike was her one weakness and she would follow me anywhere for it.

_I can feel your heart beat through my shirt  
>This was all I wanted, all I want<em>

As I reached the park, I set the bike next to a bench and collapsed on the grass in front of it. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath, worn out from my quick get away and the laughter, as I felt a high that I only felt when I had successfully angered her.

Within a few minutes, I heard someone huffing and puffing as they collapsed on the grass next to me. After she had regained enough breath, she turned to yell at me. "What's the big idea?" she demanded to know. Although her face said angry, her eyes told a whole different story.

"I needed a bike," I shrugged, coming up with a lame reason.

"Ugh," she grumbled, resting her head on my stomach.

_Its all I want  
>Its all I want<em>

I felt my nerves go crazy and my face heat up again when her hot breath traveled through my shirt and onto my bare skin. I would never admit it, but I didn't want her to move, so I fought hard to contain the laughter caused by the ticklish feeling. I just hoped she couldn't feel my racing heartbeat.

_Its all I want  
>Its all I want<em>

After a few seconds she quickly lifted her head back up and face me, some red showing on her cheeks. I guess she was as embarrassed as I was.

"Sorry," she mumbled, standing up. "I should probably get back to the gym. My sisters are probably wondering where I went."

_Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back  
>It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind<br>Only love_

As I stared at her in sadness, I could only think of one thing: This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to head back to the gym; she was supposed to come with me.

"Don't go," I pleaded, grabbing her wrist to stop her. "Please Misty. Come back with me. We can travel again just like the good old times."

"Ash..."

"Please, Misty. I'll do anything. I'll...I'll have Pikachu destroy your bike again," I threatened.

This made her laugh a bit, but her smile quickly faded as quickly as it had appeared.

"I can't just get up and leave, Ash! I'm not a kid anymore. I have responsibilities and...and," she shouted at me, but she quickly lost her words.

And just like before, I could see the look in her eyes that told me she wanted to do exactly what she was telling me she couldn't.

"Misty," I said in a low voice that grabbed her attention. "Don't lie to yourself. I know you want to get out of here. So do it. There's nothing hold you back."

_Just say yes, coz I'm aching and I know you are too  
>For the touch of your warm skin<br>As I breathe you in_

She bit her lip in nervousness again, contemplating what I had said.

"I guess if someone was indebted to be, I might need to follow them to make sure they paid me back," she said, an underlying hint of suggestion in her voice.

"Yeah. You never know, they may forget. You should be there to remind them everyday," I pushed her. Just say the word, Misty and your bike is toast.

I had promised myself that I wasn't going to leave here without her and I wasn't one to give up easily.

"And I'm really good at reading maps."

Knowing her, she would sit here and come up with a million reasons why she should go, only to come up with an excuse for each one as to why she couldn't. So, before she could start coming up with excuses, I stopped her.

"Are you coming or not?" I asked her, offering her my hand.

This time she took it, a big smile on her face.


End file.
